Several years ago, DJ Joe Bunn, a successful DJ company owner based out of Raleigh, North Carolina, began speaking at national DJ conferences. From the first time that I heard Joe speak, I realized that he was a savvy marketer with great ideas. His polished marketing and branding have helped Bunn DJ Company to become a market leader. Joe and his staff DJs perform at over 500 weddings annually, supplemented by another 200+ private, corporate and charity events.

I was excited to learn that Joe was producing an educational DVD focused on marketing and branding. The DVD was released in March 2016 and is titled “Marketing the Music – How to Promote Your DJ Company the Right Way.” I purchased the DVD a couple of months ago. On the back cover of the packaging, Joe explains, “the DVD is the culmination of years of trial and error to find marketing ideas that really work for DJ company owners.”
Organization

The video was filmed at Bunn’s offices in Raleigh, North Carolina. Joe had no interest in subjecting viewers to a six hour video, so the presentation is deliberately fast-paced and concise. Viewers are advised to watch the video with a pen and paper handy, as you’ll want to write down Joe’s recommended strategies and website links.

Joe kicks off the video by explaining the difference between marketing and branding. He explains that branding is much more than creating a logo. Branding is a style that needs to be applied consistently across the entire company and all of its marketing materials.

One of the most enjoyable parts of the product is in the section “Digital Marketing” where Joe includes a series of his company’s most successful video marketing pieces in their entirety. Bunn’s video work is exceptional for its creativity and high production standards. In fact, one might imagine after viewing some of these pieces that they were created by a Madison Avenue ad agency – but not the case. Take notice of the emotional impact that Joe’s videos impart. To view a sampler of these videos, visit Bunn DJ Company’s Vimeo channel at http://vimeo.com/bunndjco

Additional bonus educational content for select sections of the video is available by submitting an email request.

Review

“Marketing the Music” contains a wealth of actionable ideas that DJs can implement to improve their bottom lines. These tips are classified in the video as “Joe’s Way.” For example, to cement brand loyalty and generate more reviews, Joe recommends using a service called sendoutcards.com. On the cover of the card he includes a photo of the bride and groom’s first dance, and on the inside is a thank you note with a link to the review sites at the end. This power strategy resulted in a huge spike in reviews for Bunn DJ Company.

To increase the search engine optimization (SEO) power of blogs, Joe suggests using the Yoast plug-in for WordPress blogs. He also shows how to properly label and tag YouTube videos.

In the social media section, Joe ranks the social media sites from least useful to most useful for his business and describes posting strategies for each, while also advising on pitfalls for DJs to avoid. For those struggling with topics to post on, Joe provides a concise list of post ideas to help you get started.

The big picture marketing strategies endorsed by Bunn are the most powerful. To market effectively, a DJ company owner needs to assemble a team of professionals. According to Joe, the public can see right through a do it yourself effort. Specific service providers who you’ll need on your team include a graphic designer, public relations professional, awesome web designer, professional photographer and professional videographer. You’ll also need to create a best in show bridal show booth!

After viewing “Marketing the Music” in its entirety, I was excited by the possibilities but thought to myself – if following all of Joe’s recommended strategies, it could easily cost $25,000 or more! His videos in particular looked complex and expensive. I shot Joe an email inquiring about the costs. Much to my surprise, he informed me that creating professional results can be done for a fraction of the cost by creating power partnerships (particularly with videographers), utilizing logo design contests and relying on in-house talent. Joe deserves kudos for generating Fortune 500 style marketing campaigns on the budget of a small business. Using Joe’s marketing campaigns as an inspiration, I believe that DJs and company owners can create much more powerful and professional marketing campaigns without breaking the bank.

Another takeaway from the DVD – DJs should learn to get comfortable on film and always have a camera or video camera nearby. Joe shared some great footage on the DVD from when he was spinning at college frat parties and later in clubs. These scenes were woven into a video documentary about his path to becoming a wedding DJ. In a stylized photo shoot, Joe posed in a parking garage while holding an ominous looking vulture on his hand.
Recommendation

Let’s face it. You could be the best DJ in the world, but without effective marketing, your services are not going to be much in demand. “Marketing the Music” by DJ Joe Bunn is a fantastic educational product that can help any DJ or company owner step up their marketing game. The product is particularly relevant to DJ company owners seeking to build a brand that really pops in their local market. If you are a DJ whose growth has stalled, a re-branding may be in order and this DVD will help you.

The price of the DVD, at just $99, is extremely reasonable relative to the potential benefits to be derived by more effectively marketing your DJ business.

Look out for Joe’s follow-up video “Selling the Music” in 2017. In this product, Joe will expound upon his sales techniques in converting leads into bookings. For this video, he is planning to film an in-person sales consultation with a couple to show exactly how he runs a meeting.